Transparent display unit

ABSTRACT

The display unit comprises two transparent spherical segments which are preferably half spheres. Annular flanges formed at the edges of said segments are applied against each other and imprisoned between two superposed walls of sheet material which are joined together and form a support. The spherical segments project from both faces of the support through corresponding openings formed in both walls of the support. Essentially, only those parts of the two walls of the support which are located near the edges of the two spherical segments are joined together. The other parts can be moved away from each other so as to form a stand.

United States Patent Herv A. Gourio Saint Die, Vosges, France [21] Appl. No. 835,501

[72] Inventor [22] Filed June 23, 1969 [45] Patented Jan. 26, 1971 [73] Assignee Societe Anonyme Financiere & Auxiliaire Du Textile Paris, France [32] Priority Oct. 15, 1968 [3 3 France [54] TRANSPARENT DISPLAY UNIT 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 206/45.24, 206/45.34, 206/78 [51] Int. Cl 865d 5/52, 865d 73/00 [50] Field of Search 206/45.24,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,809,863 10/1957 Curran 239/60X 3,382,970 5/1968 Sellors 206/45.24 3,352,409 1 H1967 Link 206/78B Primary ExaminerDavid M. Bockenek AttorneyMcGlew and Toren ABSTRACT: The display unit comprises two transparent spherical segments which are preferably half spheres. Annular flanges formed at the edges of said segments are applied against each other and imprisoned between two superposed walls of sheet material which are joined together and form a support. The spherical segments project from both faces of the support through corresponding openings formed in both walls of the support. Essentially, only those parts of the two walls of the support which are located near the edges of the two spherical segments are joined together. The other parts can be moved away from each other so as to form a stand.

PATENTEDIJANZBISYI 3557,9455

' sum 2 OF 2 INVENTOR HERVE" F). 600R) BY Pane/w H770 RA/EVS This invention is directed to a transparent display unit for a wide range of different articles and in particular ladies stockings, of the type comprising two transparent spherical segments or preferably half spheres, the edges of which are bent back in the form of annular flanges. These flanges are applied flatwise against each other and imprisoned between two superposed walls which are joined together and made of sheet material which forms a support. Said spherical segments project respectively from the two faces of the support through corresponding openings formed in the two walls of said support.

The display unit according to the invention is characterized in that only those parts of the two walls of the support which are located in the vicinity of the edges of the two spherical segments are joined together whilst the other parts of said support can be moved away from each other so as to form a stand which constitutes two bearing means.

A better understanding of the invention will be gained from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which one form of construction of a transparent display unit in accordance with the invention is shown by way of example without any limitation being implied.

In These Drawings:

HO. 1 is a view in elevation of the display unit;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views in cross section taken respectively along the lines ll-ll and lll-lll of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a number of different ways of placing the display unit on a supporting surface.

The transparent display unit which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings is made up of two transparent spherical segments 1, 2 which are preferably hemispherical and joined along their edges which are turned down to form annular flanges 3, 4. Said flanges are applied flatwise against each other and imprisoned between the edges 5, 6 of two openings formed in the two walls of a flat support 7 which is made of sheet material having two thicknesses.

In the example which is illustrated, the support 7 is made up of a wide strip of sheet material such as thick paper, the width 1 of which is slightly greater than the diameter of the annular flanges of the two spherical segments. Said sheet is folded back along a line which is indicated at 11 and which is preferably also located near the edges of the spherical segments. The two ends of the strip are folded inwards along two lines indicated at l4, 15 in FIG. 2 so as to form two large flaps l2, 13 respectively.

The two edges of the folded strip are joined together on each side of the spherical segments by any suitable means, for example by glueing, stapling or alternatively in the manner which is shown, namely by means of two tabs l8, 19 which form part of a slightly wider portion of one thickness of the strip. Said tabs are folded back against the other thickness of the strip and joined to this latter by any conventional means of suitable type such as glueing, stapling or the like.

As a preferable feature, at least one of the two tabs is provided along its folding line with perforations such as 22 which subsequently permit the user of any article which is packed in the display unit to open this latter with case in order to extract the article.

The use of the display unit is as follows:

It should be noted in the first place that the article to be packed is evidently placed in position inside the two transparent spherical segments before these latter are applied against each other and joined together by means of the operation which consists in closing the support sheet 7. For purposes of sale or exhibition, the display unit can be suspended by means of a hook, for example, and one end of the support 7 is accordingly provided with a hole 24. Moreover, the structure which has been described in the foregoing can be placed directly on a supporting surface such as 27, for example, (as shown in FIG. 4) if at least one of the two flaps l2 and 13 is unfolded in a given manner. In the mode of utilization which is shown in FlG. 4, only the fla 13 has been partly unfolded and the terminal edge of said ap has been applied against the inner face of the other flap 12 so that the display unit is inclined to the supporting surface 27 at an angle A. If the flap 13 is passed underneath the folding line 14 of the other flap 12 as shown in FIG. 6, the angle B which the display unit makes with the supporting surface 27 is much larger: in any case, from the point of view of attractive appearance, it is probably preferably to consider that the front of the display unit is that portion of the support to which the flap 13 is appended whereas, in FIG. 4, the opposite portion would be placed in front.

ln another mode of utilization, both flaps 12 and 13 can be unfolded so as to place them flatwise one against the other and against the supporting surface 27. The display unit is thus placed at an angle of inclination C which is intennediate in value between the angles A and B of FIGS 4 and 6 respectively.

The display unit can be employed for the purpose of packing a wide variety of articles and especially, although not exclusively, ladies stockings.

In order to extract the article from, the display unit, the user simply opens this latter by pulling on the two ends of the sheet which is accordingly torn along the line of perforations 22 and thus frees the spherical segments which then fall apart. If, instead of tabs, recourse is had to glue "spots" or alternatively to a line of glue which is applied to the edge of the support so as to join the two thicknesses together, the unit may be opened in the same manner.

It will be readily understood that the invention is not limited in any sense to the embodiment which has been described in the foregoing with reference to the accompanying drawings and which has been given solely by way of example; modifications could accordingly be contemplated without thereby departing either from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A transparent display unit constituted by two transparent spherical segments which are preferably half spheres having edges bent back in the form of annular flanges which are applied flatwise against each other and imprisoned between two superposed walls which are joined together and made of sheet material which forms a support, said spherical segments being intended to project respectively from the two faces of said support through corresponding openings formed in the two walls of said support, wherein only those parts of the two walls of the support which are located in the vicinity of the edges of the two spherical segments are joined together whilst the other parts of said support can be moved away from each other so as to form a stand which constitutes bearing means.

2. A display unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the support is constituted by a wide strip of sheet material which is substantially equal in width to the annular flanges of the two spherical segments and which is folded back in the vicinity of the opening and at least one end of which is folded inwards so that it may subsequently be withdrawn to form a stand for the display unit.

3. A display unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edges of that portion of the strip which is located in the vicinity of the spherical segments are fastened together by means of tabs having a folding line which is preferably provided with perforations and forms a line of incipient rupture of the display unit in order to enable the user to remove the packed article therefrom.

4. A display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is provided with suspension means consisting of a hole formed in said support. 

1. A transparent display unit constituted by two transparent spherical segments which are preferably half spheres having edges bent back in the form of annular flanges which are applied flatwise against each other and imprisoned between two superposed walls which are joined together and made of sheet material which forms a support, said spherical segments being intended to project respectively from the two faces of said support through corresponding openings formed in the two walls of said support, wherein only those parts of the two walls of the support which are located in the vicinity of the edges of the two spherical segments are joined together whilst the other parts of said support can be moved away from each other so as to form a stand which constitutes bearing means.
 2. A display unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the support is constituted by a wide strip of sheet material which is substantially equal in width to the annular flanges of the two spherical segments and which is folded back in the vicinity of the opening and at least one end of which is folded inwards so that it may subsequently be withdrawn to form a stand for the display unit.
 3. A display unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the edges of that portion of the strip which is located in the vicinity of the spherical segments are fastened together by means of tabs having a folding line which is preferably provided with perforations and forms a line of incipient rupture of the display unit in order to enable the user to remove the packed article therefrom.
 4. A display unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is provided with suspension means consisting of a hole formed in said support. 